Historical Markers in
Galveston County, Texas

1871 Thomas Jefferson League Building A. Wilkins Miller Cottage Adriance-Springer House Albertson Home Alta Loma Alta Loma Cemetery American National Insurance Company American Red Cross, Galveston County Chapter Arcadia Christian Church Ashbel Smith, 1805-1886 Ashton Villa, 1859 Avenue L Missionary Baptist Church Baden-Sproule House Ball High School Battle of Galveston Bernard Moore Temple Best-Lucas House Boddeker House Bolivar Point Booker T. Washington School Burial Site of David G. Burnet C. F. Marschner Building Camp Wallace Campbell Home Captain William S. Fisher Carl and Hilda Biehl House Carmelo "Charles" Bertolino Catherine Isabel Cox Sherman Cecil and Frances Brown House Cedar Lawn Charles Cronea City of Hitchcock Civil War Fortifications at Virginia Point Clarke-Jockusch Home Confederate Mariner: Leon Smith Congregation B'nai Israel Synagogue Crenshaw Family Cemetery Dairy Industry in the Santa Fe Area David Ayers Davidson-Penland House Davison Home Dickinson Station of the GH&H Railroad Dominican Sisters Congregation of the Sacred Heart Dr. Frederick K. and Lucy Adelaide Fisher House E. S. Levy and Company Early History of Galveston County Eaton Memorial Chapel Evergreen Cemetery Exploration of Galveston County Fairview Cemetery Faith United Methodist Church Fig Industry in Friendswood First Aero Squadron First Baptist Church of Galveston First Baptist Church of League City First Baptist Church of Texas City First Hutchings-Sealy National Bank First Lutheran Church First Methodist Church of Texas City First Navy of the Republic of Texas First Presbyterian Church First Texas City Refinery, The First Union Baptist Church First United Methodist Church of Dickinson First Wharf in Galveston Former Site of Heidenheimer's Castle Fort Travis Frank Bell, Jr. Franklin-Wandless House Frederich-Erhard House Frederick William Beissner House Friends Church Cemetery Friendswood Gaido's Famous Seafood Restaurant Gail Borden, Jr. Galilee Missionary Baptist Church Galveston Artillery Club Galveston Chamber of Commerce Galveston Children's Home Galveston County Communities Galveston County, 1901 - 1965 Galveston Garten Verein Galveston Historical Foundation Galveston Immigration Stations Galveston in the Republic of Texas Galveston Island Galveston Medical College Galveston "News," C. S.A. Galveston Office of the National Weather Service Galveston Orphans Home Galveston Quarantine Stations Galveston, C. S. A. Galveston: Gateway to Texas George Campbell Childress George Campbell Childress George Dealey George Fox House George H. Nicholls George Seeligson Home George Washington Chapter - DAR Grace Episcopal Church Grand Opera House 1894 Greater Bell Zion Missionary Baptist Church Greek Orthodox Cemetery Greensville S. Dowell Grover-Chambers House Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway Company Hagemann-Cobb House Hawes Summer Home Heidenheimer-Hunter Building Helen E. Ebert Hendley's Row Henry C. Henck, Jr. House Henry Journeay Henry Rosenberg Home High Island Hitchcock Depot Holy Rosary Catholic Church Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Homesite of Adolph Dolson Homesite of Dr. William Keiller Hotel Galvez Hutchings House Hutchings, Sealy & Co. Building Isaac H. and Henrietta Kempner House Isaac Heffron House Isabella Offenbach Maas Residence J. F. Smith & Brothers (STOLEN) J. F. Smith House J. Levy & Bro. Jack Johnson Jackie Andrews Private School James Love James N. Davis House James S. Waters House Jane Herbert Wilkinson Long Jean Lafitte John and Eliza Hertford House John Bankhead Magruder John M. Jones House John Overton Trueheart John Smith House Julius H. Ruhl Residence Juneteenth Karankawa Campsite Kemah La Marque Lafitte's Grove Landes-McDonough House Lasker Home for Children League Park Lent Munson Hitchcock Leon & H. Blum Co. Building Levi Charles Meyers Harby Lockhart House Lorraine Crosby School Louis Trezevant Wigfall Lt. Commander Edward Lea Magale Building Magnolia Creek Cemetery Mainland Mission Churches Major John M. Allen Major Leon Dyer Mallory-Produce Building Mardi Gras in Galveston Masonic Temple, Old (BURNED) Mathilda Wehmeyer German-American Kindergarten School Maud Moller House Menard-Ganter House Michel B. Menard Miller-Brautigam Home Miller-Jacobs Home Moody Hall Nahor Biggs Yard Near Campsites of Louis-Michel Aury and Francisco Xavier Mina Nicholas D. Labadie Nicholas J. Clayton Norris Wright Cuney Old Austin Home Old Ball Home Old Bay Lake Ranch Old Galveston Market House and City Hall Old H. B. Moore Home Old Red, Ashbel Smith Building Olga Samaroff Open Gates Original Oleander Planting in Galveston Original Site of First Baptist Church of Alta Loma Original Site of St. Mary's Orphan Asylum Paul's Union Church Peter Leroy Colombo Phillips Memorial Cemetery Pier 19, Mosquito Fleet Berth Point Bolivar Poole-Parker House Powhatan and Mattie Wren House Powhatan House Produce Building Public Education for Blacks in Galveston Quigg-Baulard Cottage Rabbi Henry Cohen Reconstruction to 1900, Galveston County Reedy Chapel A. M. E. Church Reedy Chapel A. M. E. Church Rollover Fish Pass Rosewood Cemetery Runge Park Sacred Heart Church Samuel May Williams Samuel May Williams San Leon San Leon Cemetery Santa Fe Consolidated High School Santa Fe Union Station Schreiber-Miller Warehouse Scottish Rite Masonry in Texas Settlement Community Shiloh A. M. E. Church Shoal Point and Half Moon Shoal Lighthouse Sidney Sherman Site of Austinia Site of Clifton-by-the-Sea Site of Galveston County Poor Farm Site of Galveston Seminary Site Of Landmark Campbell's Bayou Site of Magnolia Grove Cemetery Site of Old Saint Mary's Infirmary Site of the Home of Michael Branaman Menard Site of Ursuline Convent and Academy Sociedad Mutualista Mexicana in Texas City Sonnentheil Home SS Selma St. George's Episcopal Church St. Joseph's Church St. Mary Mission Church St. Mary's Cathedral St. Mary's Hospital St. Patrick Catholic Church St. Paul United Methodist Church Stewart Property Stringfellow Orchards Sweeney-Royston House T. J. and Mary Lelia Dick House Texas Bar Association Texas City Texas City Dike Texas City Memorial Cemetery Texas City Terminal Railway Company Texas Revolution and Civil War, Galveston County Texas Society, Sons of the American Revolution Texas Sugar Refining Company The Bishop's Palace The Cottage The Cradle The Galveston Movement The Heidenheimer Bros. Marine Building The Italian Vault The Maas House The Mexican Telegraph Company_The Zimmermann Telegram The Moody Home The Original Galveston Seawall The Rev. Henry P. Young (October 2, 1817-September 12, 1901) The Rosenberg Library The Rt. Rev. Monsignor James Martin Kirwin The Rt. Rev. Monsignor Marius Etienne Chataignon The Stewart Building The Texas City Disaster The Wilbur Cherry House Thomas Chubb House Thomas Henry Borden Thomas Joseph Townsite of Dickinson Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church Trube House Trueheart-Adriance Building U. S. Army Camp at Texas City U. S. Naval Air Station (Blimp Base) Ursuline Convent in the Civil War Ursuline Nuns in Galveston Valentine T. Dalton Victor Gustafson Home W. P. Ballinger Law Firm Warren D. C. Hall Washington Hotel Wedell's Corner Wegner House Wesley Tabernacle United Methodist Church West Galveston Island West Point Baptist Church Wilbur Cherry William and Adele Skinner House William and Lena Juneman Smith William J. Killeen House William Jefferson Jones William Lewis Moody, Jr. William Tennant Austin Williams-Tucker House, 1837-40 World War I Physicians in Galveston
The Texas Rangers, a famous law enforcement agency, were first organized in 1835 to protect settlers from Native American attacks.
Galveston County, located on the Gulf Coast of Texas, has a rich and fascinating history that dates back centuries. The area was inhabited by Native American tribes for thousands of years before European explorers arrived in the 16th century. Spanish explorers were among the first to visit the region, followed by French and English explorers in the 17th and 18th centuries.

In 1816, Pirate Jean Lafitte established a short-lived settlement on Galveston Island, which became a haven for smugglers and criminals. However, the pirate era came to an end when the Mexican government took control of Texas and drove out Lafitte and his fellow pirates.

The 19th century saw Galveston County become a major seaport and commercial center. In 1839, the city of Galveston was founded and quickly grew in size and prosperity. The city became an important hub for the Texas cotton industry and played a significant role in the Texas Revolution and the Civil War.

However, Galveston faced numerous challenges throughout its history, including devastating hurricanes. The most notable was the Great Storm of 1900, which remains the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, claiming thousands of lives and causing extensive damage. Despite the destruction, Galveston rebuilt and implemented engineering projects, including the construction of a seawall, to protect the city from future hurricanes.

Today, Galveston County is a popular tourist destination, known for its beautiful beaches, historic architecture, and vibrant cultural scene. The county has successfully preserved its rich heritage while embracing modern development, making it a unique and diverse place to visit and live.

This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Galveston County, Texas.

  • 1528 - Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca becomes the first known European to set foot on Galveston Island
  • 1816 - Pirate Jean Lafitte establishes a base on Galveston Island
  • 1825 - Galveston becomes a port of entry for the newly formed Republic of Mexico
  • 1836 - Galveston becomes an important port during the Texas Revolution
  • 1839 - The City of Galveston is officially incorporated
  • 1854 - Galveston becomes the largest city in Texas
  • 1900 - Galveston is struck by a devastating hurricane, resulting in over 6,000 deaths
  • 1901 - Oil is discovered in nearby Spindletop, leading to a period of economic growth
  • 1957 - The world's first offshore drilling rig is built in Galveston
  • 2008 - Hurricane Ike causes significant damage to Galveston